Sir Ian Botham has predicted that England will beat Australia 5-0 in the Ashes
this summer and said the tourists could be forced to endure “years” of
failure.

Sir Ian Botham has predicted that England will beat Australia 5-0 in The Ashes this summer and said the tourists could be forced to endure “years” of failure.

Andy Flower’s side will be looking for their first hat-trick of Ashes triumphs since ‘Botham’s Ashes’ in 1981 and the England legend believes they could follow up victory this summer by retaining the urn both in the winter and the summer of 2015.

“I’m loving it. I absolutely adore it,” Botham said of Australia’s recent difficulties. “Over the years, we’ve had to put up with Australian commentators here enjoying it and gloating. Well, see how they enjoy it for the next few years.”

Botham claimed this summer could even witness England’s first ever whitewash over their arch rivals in the 131-year history of multi-Test series between the countries.

“I don’t see Australia competing with England for a little while, a few years yet,” said Botham, who laughed off former Australia captain Steve Waugh’s suggestion that the tourists could repeat their surprise 1989 success.

“Ask Steve Waugh if he’s going to put his house on it. I don’t think he will. I actually do think England, if the weather does stay fine, could whitewash them. But they need the weather. That’ll be the only thing, I think, that stops them.”

Australia’s squad includes Chris Rogers – who has just one Test cap to his name – and Brad Haddin, both of whom are 35. Ricky Ponting, 38, and Mike Hussey, 37, also snubbed the chance to come out of retirement for this summer’s tour.

Botham said: “They appear, to me, to be struggling in quite a few departments at this stage. They’ve brought back players that are 35 years of age – never even heard of in Australia before.

“They even approached – we believe – Hussey and Ponting to see if they would come back and consider playing. Well, that’s not the Australia I know. That’s panic.”

The tourists also arrive in England beset by disciplinary problems in the wake of their 4-0 whitewash in India.

“We saw that with them all being sent home because they hadn’t been doing their homework,” said Botham, who was bullish about England’s own difficulties, in particular over the fitness of Kevin Pietersen, who is in a race against time to recover from the knee injury that has sidelined him since March.

“I have no doubts whatsoever that Pietersen will be walking out with that England side for the first Test at Trent Bridge,” said Botham, speaking yesterday in his role as an official Unibet ambassador, playing down the impact almost four months without cricket might have on the 32-year-old’s game.

“A player of that quality and that ability, nothing to worry about at all. He intimidates the opposition and, in one session, he can win a game. There aren’t many players in world cricket who can do that nowadays, but he can.”

Sir Ian Botham is an official Unibet ambassador. Visit Unibet’s new website at www.unibet.co.uk for the latest offers and free bets on this summer’s biggest sporting events.